Elevating mechanism for guns.



Z SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED AUG. 20, 1907.

K. VGLLER.

APPLIOATIOH FILED JUHE7, 1905.

ELEVATING MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

II ll lN /ENTUF\ vn-FEIF EYJ 6 WITNESS ES No. 363,765. PATENTED AUG. 20,1907.

K. VULLER.

ELEVATING MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 7, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES I INVENTEIR TTNTTE STATES PATENT FFTCE.

KARL VGLLER, OF DUSSELDORF, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO RHEINISGHEl\IETALLWAREN- UND MASOHINENFABRIK, OF DUSSELDORF-DERENDORF, GERMANY.

ELEVA'IING MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1907.

Application filed June 7.1905- Serial No. 264,111.

To all whom it may concern:

"Be it knowu that I, KARL VtSLLER, engineer, a 'sub ject of the GermanEmperor, residing at Dusseldorf, 47 Ziilicherstrasse, Germany, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevating Mechanism forGuns; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates more particularly to that description of ordnancein which it is desirable or necessary to bring the gun rapidly from afiring position into the horizontal or other desired position. This isthe case more particularly with guns that have to be fired under a greatangle of elevation, such as howitzers and the like, in which it isfrequently unavoidable to have to bring the gun, after each shot, fromthe considerably inclined position into a position in which the loadingcan be effected without difficulty. This motion requires to be effectedrapidly and reliably, both in the one direction and in the other, and inmoving the gun from the loading position into the firing position, anarrangement has to be provided for insuring that it shall always bebrought back to the same degree of elevation. At the same time the gunmust be capable of being accurately adjusted by means of the elevatingmechanism in every position which it is required to assume.

The construction according to the present invention, differs from knownconstructions in that it fulfils the above described conditions in sucha way that, for example, in the case of guns having the so-calledtoothed segment elevating mechanism both the slow and the quickelevating motion of the gun is effected by means of the said toothedsegment, and the toothed gear engaged therewith. According to thepresent invention therefore the toothed segment and pinion are not putout of engagement for the rapid elevation, the shifting of the toothedsegment and of the gun connected therewith being in this case alsoeffected by the turning of the toothed pinion.

I will describe the said invention with reference to the accompanyingdrawing in which Figure 1 shows a part side elevation of a gun andelevating mechanism in the loading position; Fig. 2 shows the gunelevated to the highest firing position. Figs. 3 and 4 show sectionalplans, the gun being omitted; Figs. 5 and 6 show cross sections of theelevating shaft at 5-5 and 66 Fig. 3, and Figs. 7 and 8 show sectionsthereof at 7-7 and S-8, Fig. 4.

To the gun a or, as shown on the drawing, to the upper carriage orcradle b, is rigidly attached the toothed segment 0 which in thearrangement shown, is duplicated on each side. The toothed segments 0 care engaged by the pinions cl d fixed on a shaft, designated generally ajournaled in the gun carriage cheeks and with its usual worm shaft andhand-wheel, constitutes a known elevating mechanism for the slow andaccurate elevation of the gun in the vertical plane.

The shaft consists of two concentric parts. namely the inner shaft 0with the worm wheelf fixed thereto, and the outer shaft 0 which carriesthe pinions (Z engaged with the toothed segments c. and in additionanother pinion g which constitutes the actuating device for the rapidrotation of the pinions d, and consequently for the rapid turning of thetoothed segments 0 and the rapid elevation of the gun. At one point ofthe interior of the tubular shaft 0 are inward projections 0 having anangular cross-sectional form with which can engage correspondinglyformed parts a of the inner shaft 0 which is otherwise of circularsection. These projections and parts when in engagement with each other.as shown in Fig. 3, prevent the two shaft members c and 6- from havingany rotary movement relatively to each other; but when the shaft member0 is shifted to the position shown in Fig. 4, by mechanism presently tobe described, the said projections and parts are disengaged. thuspermitting the shaft member 6 to be rotated independently of the shaftmember 0 to effect rapid elevation of the gun.

If, while the usual elevating mechanism is situated in the position atFig. 3, the \vorm wheel f is slowly rotated. this slow motion istransmitted through the coupled shafts 0 6-. the pinions (Z and toothedsegments 0, to the gun. On ceasing to rotate the worm-wheel f the shaft0 will be locked in its position by the worm-wheel gear. The inner shaft5 'is mounted in the carriage cheeks so as to be rotatable. but itcannot be shifted longitudinally: on the other hand the shaft o can beshifted longitudinally.

Fig. 4 shows the position in which the outer shaft 0' is shiftedrelatively to the inner shaft to such an extent that the said couplingparts of the two shafts are brought out of engagement. The said parts of0 are situated at the side of the said parts of a, so that the outershaft can be rotated upon the inner one. With the shaft 0 have also beenshifted laterally. the pinions (Z but such shift is only to such anextent that the pinions d still remain engaged with the toothed segmentsc. to the extent of half their width.

To the gun carriage is pivoted the two'armed lover I), turning upon thepivot pin 1' fixed to the carriage cheek. The one arm of the leverconstitutes a handle'ver with the handle 71 the other arm carries atoothed segment 11?. The two-armed lever 72 is not only rotatable uponthe pivot i, but also upon a second axis is situated at right angles tothe pivot 2' and consequently parallel to the. carriage cheek.

In the position at Fig. 3, in which. the elevation of the gun can beeffected slowly by means of the ordinary elevating mechanism, thetoothed segment h of lever h and the pinion g are out of gear, the leverbeing held in that position in a clamp Z. If the elevation of the gun isto be altered rapidly, such as to be moved from the position at Fig. 2into the position at Fig. 1, the handle it is moved towards the carriagecheek in turning upon the axis is. The toothed segment 11? is thusbrought into engagement with the pinion g, and in being made to bearagainst the rim g it shifts the shaft 0 longitudinally into the positionshown at Fig. 4 in which the toothed segment 7L2 and the pinion 9 lie inone and the same place. By this motion the helical spring In situatedbetween the shafts e and a is compressed. if new the hand lever h bemoved in the upward direction, then by means of the toothed segment hand pinion g the shaft 0 will be rotated, and consequently by means ofthe pinions d and the toothed segments 0 engaged therewith, the breechend of the gun will be raised at a speed which will depend upon thespeed with which the handle h is moved.

In Fig. 2 the change of position which the lever h, the toothed segments0 and the gun assume together with the upper carriage on the movement ofthe lever, is shown in dotted lines.

011 the shaft 6 is a stud n, and in the shaft 0 is a longitudinal groove0 in which the stud n is engaged at the initial position of the gun(Figs. 5, G, 7 and 8). In the position at Fig. 4, the stud has moved outof the groove, but bears on the side (on the right hand side as shown atFig. 8) against a stop 11 formed in the shaft 0 The end of the shaft 6has a circular groove (1 formed in it, in which moves the stud n of e onthe rotation of 0 This rotation can only continue until the stud n,which. in the initial position bears with. its right hand side againstthe stop p as at Fig. 8, comes in contact with the said stop 10 with itsopposite side bearing against the opposite side of the stop. By thismeans, the angle of rotation of shaft 0 is limited, and as will bereadily seen the extreme positions of the gun are thereby determined.

As soon as in the relative positions shown at Fig, 4 of the shafts e anda therotation of shaft 0 commences, the stud n engages with the grooveq, and no backward shifting of shaft a relatively to the fixed shaft 6is then possible. Consequently also in the loading position at Fig. 1,and in the dotted position at Fig. 2, no unintentional backward shift ofthe shaft 0 can take place. The backward motion of shaft 0 can only beeffected when on turning it backwards, the stud n is again situated withits right hand side against the stop p, so as to face the groove 0.which the entire mechanism is situated before the rotation of shaft 6The above described bayonet-joint like device, consequently fulfils thepurpose of only allowing the connection of the elevating devices withthe moving mechanism of the ordinary elevating machine, when the gun isagain situated in a previously determined elevated position. The actionon the return motion of the gun is therefore such that the hand lever his again moved downwards until it is felt that the stud n and stop pcome in contact. At this moment the previously compressed spring m comesinto action, in having the tendency to shift the shaft 6 back into Thisis the position in its original position. This backward shift iseffected at Once unless a counter pressure is exercised by means of thehand lever. This is then moved by hand somewhat further to one side inorder to disengage the pinion 9 from the toothed segment IF, and it isthen secured in the clamp l.

It will be obvious that the kinetic reversal of the mechanisms, forexample, the reversal of the connections between the concentric shaftswith the one or the other moving device, the provision of the studs andgrooves on the one or the other shaft, can be effected without alteringthe nature and action of the invention.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is:

1. The combination, with a gun, a rotatable shaft, and connectionsbetween said shaft and gun whereby the gun is moved by said shaft, ofmeans for rotating said shaft slowly, means for rotating said shaftrapidly, and mechanism independent of the gun for interchangeablyconnecting both said rotating means to said shaft.

2. The combination, with a gun, an elevating device for said gun, and ashaft for operating said elevating device, of an actuating gear foreffecting a slow rotation of said shaft, an actuating gear for effectinga rapid rotation of said shaft, and means independent of the gun forinterchangeably connecting said actuating gears to said shaft.

3. The combination, with a shaft, a gun, and conneetions between theshaft and gun, whereby the gun is moved by said shaft, of a rapidelevating gear arranged to engage directly with said shaft, a secondshaft, a slow elevating gear directly connected to said shaft, and meansfor connecting said shafts and simultaneously disengaging the rapidelevating gear from the first shaft.

4. An elevating mechanism for guns embodying a nonlongitudinallyshiftable rotatable inner shaft. carrying a slow elevating gear, alongitudinally shiftable rotatable outer shaft carrying a rapidelevating gear, means for driving the latter gear, and a laterally andvertically oscillatory segment to drive the last named gear.

5. An elevating mechanism for guns embodying two nested shafts, theinner one of which carries a slow elevating gear and the outer one ofwhich carries a rapid elevating gear, and a later-ally and verticallyoscillatory segment. to drive the last named gear.

(3. An elevating mechanism for guns, the combination with a toothedelevating segment, of a two-membered shaft. the inner one of whichcarries a slow elevating gear, and the outer one a gear to engage thesegment and a rapid elevating gear, and a laterally and verticallyoscillatory segment to engage the latter gear.

'7. An elevating mechanism for guns, comprising two nested shafts, theinner one of which carries a slow elevating gear-and the outer one arapid elevating gear provided with a rim, and a laterally and verticallyoscillatory segment adapted to engage the last named gear and the rim.

8. In an elevating mechanism for guns the combination with a toothedsegment elevating apparatus of a tubular shaft carrying a toothed pinionengaged with the toothed segment, a second shaft within the said tubularshaft, an actuating gear connected with the inner shaft so as to effecta slow rotation thereof, an actuating gear connected with the outershaft so as to effect a rapid rotation thereof, means for shifting thesaid shafts longitudinally relatively to each other and means forlocking the shafts together substantially for the purpose set forth.

9. In an elevating mechanism for guns the combination with a toothedsegment elevating apparatus of a tubular shaft carrying a toothed pinionengaged with the toothed segment, a second shaft within the said tubularshaft, the latter having part of its interior formed so as to engagewith a correspondingly formed part of the inner shaft, an actuating gearconnected with the inner shaft so as to effect a slow rotation thereof,an actuating gear connected with the outer shaft so as to elfcct a rapidrotation thereof and means for shifting the said shafts longitudinallyrelatively to each other, substantially for the purpose set forth.

10. In an elevating mechanism for guns the combination With a toothedsegment elevating apparatus of a tubular shaft carrying a toothed pinionengaged with the toothed segment, a second shaft Within the said tubularshaft, an actuating gear connected with the inner shaft so as to efiecta slow rotation thereof, an actuating gear connected with the outershaft so as to effect a rapid 1'otation thereof, means for shifting thesaid shafts longitudinally relatively to each other, a spring holdingthe shafts in their normal relative position and means for locking theshafts together, substantially for the purpose set forth.

11. In an elevating mechanism for guns the combination with a toothedsegment elevating apparatus of a tubular shaft carrying a toothed pinionengaged with the toothed segment. a second shaft within the said tubularshaft, means for shifting the said shafts longitudinally relatively toeach other, a stud on one of said shafts, a hayouet-joint groove and acircular groove in the other. :1 stop in the circular groove and havingone face in line with the first-named groove. an actuating gearconnected with the inner shaft so as to effect a slow rotation thereofand an actuating gear connected with the outer shaft so as to effect arapid rotation thereof, substantially for the pur pose set forthv Intestimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presenceof two witnesses.

KARL VOLLER. 'itnesses 2 WILLIAM EssnNWnIN Pn'rnn LIEBER.

